art, thought, and work by alex konczal

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Went to the beach at fort williams with my little brother today and did this. I’ve done three stacks recently that fell before I could photograph them, so I took some photos of this one midway through the process, just as insurance against another disaster.

I started out with a concept of alternating layers of large, loosely stacked stones and small, tightly stacked stones, but as I built the process took over and drove me up and up, ignoring craft, style, and repetition, consumed with the need for height. at the end, I was reaching far above my head while standing on top of another stone – a dangerous position to balance in, for sure. it’s much harder to balance something you can’t see in its entirety. I rarely do it, but I had the midway photos, so I took the risk. if I had a step ladder, I’d be able to build without tapering – so I believe, it very well could be that it would all topple.

working with the heavier stones at the bottom was very enjoyable, and capping them with the first sort of tabletop was somehow a very complete feeling. I definitely want to pursue the layering concept again at some point – maybe during the week at the rockland breakwater. in the meantime, I’ll be aching to hear the sound of the surf once again.

Reblogged this on I Rez Therefore I Am and commented:FORT WILLIAMS, MAINE, 22 July – We reach for the stars, we plumb the depths of our global brain, and even as we measure the connections of 2 billion wired human brains, Alex Konczal stands on the beach and stacks rocks.

I'm Alex Konczal, and I stack rocks. I started stacking rocks at Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, around 2006, and I have been working in various locations ever since. I enjoy exploring different ways to utilize the found environment, and hope to reach a further understanding of composition and form in relation to site. I have only broken four toes so far.